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The tour's bare essentials Posted: Monday March 11, 2002 2:14 PM
If anyone had any doubts that Laura Diaz and her "sex appeal sells" comments weren't dead on, you should have been in the media room two weekends ago at the Genuity Championship. Last year Diaz made waves by saying the LPGA Tour needs to try to market its most beautiful members. But she never imagined that Playboy would conduct a poll on its Web site to find out who indeed is the most bodacious babe on the links. Playboy launched the poll two weeks ago, offering an in-magazine pictorial to the winner. Once the news made the rounds, writers who usually care just about men's golf and the PGA Tour quickly turned their minds to the ladies game. They checked out the site, voted and wondered whether some LPGA player would pose. And remember, all of this was going on while a couple of guys named Tiger Woods and Ernie Els were battling for the title at Doral. "Hey, is Carin [Koch] still leading?" asked one writer, and he wasn't asking about the Takefuji Classic. No one cared that Annika Sorenstam had just won her second straight tournament; they just wanted to know which player might reveal her course design. On Saturday, the poll ended with Koch besting Jill McGill by a comfortable margin. The blue-eyed, blonde Swede, nicknamed "The Face" by the caddies for her striking features, was quick to squash any notion that she would be posing for Playboy. She was flattered to be included in the poll and to win, but showing off anything other than her golf swing is not in the cards. "It's flattering, but I probably wouldn't consider doing that," Koch said. "I was hoping that someone else would win, someone like Jill. I figured she would be a little more open to doing something like that." McGill, a tall, leggy blonde, is a free spirit whose golf-course attire features shorter-than-short shorts and T-back tops. Might we see even more of McGill? According to Playboy.com, even though McGill finished second in the vote, the magazine is still offering her the chance to shoot the pictorial. While McGill hasn't received a formal contract proposal, she wasn't ruling out the possibility of doffing her duds in Hugh Hefner's magazine. "It's not something that I would say, 'No, I absolutely won't do it,'" said McGill, who also added that she would need to discuss the matter with her sponsors and that the money would have to be right. Much to my surprise, all of the contestants in the poll -- who did not know that they were going to be included -- were tremendously good sports. Last week Kris Tschetter went on the site and noticed that she was in seventh place, so she voted for herself. "I was behind the I-don't-care vote so I needed all of the help that I can get," said Tschetter. The 38-year-old thinks she is too old for Playboy but is hoping someone else will pose. "I was hoping that they would offer Carin enough money that she would do it," said Tschetter, whose husband was proud as a peacock that his wife was considered Playboy material. The funniest story came from rookie Elizabeth Bowman. Her mother, knowing that the tall brunette was last in the poll, actually went on and voted. Unfortunately, she mistakenly voted for Tschetter. We'll have to wait to see if McGill gives the world a thrill. Meanwhile, tour officials can only hope their players receive this kind of exposure (excuse the pun) all of the time. Shag BagThe first ever players' summit, conducted by the LPGA last weekend in Phoenix, was a huge success. "It was the most impressive thing the LPGA has ever put on in my 19 years on tour," said Val Skinner. Commissioner Ty Votaw unveiled the tour's five-year strategic marketing plan, dubbed "Fans First," and, most appropriately, Nancy Lopez ended a weekend filled with lectures and discussions with an impromptu speech that had the 178 players, staff and board members on hand in tears. ... LPGA founder Alice Bauer passed away March 6 in Palm Desert, Calif., due to complications from colon cancer. She was 74. "She had the longest swing in the history of golf," said fellow founder Marilynn Smith. "Her backswing made John Daly's look short." ... On Saturday afternoon, the LPGA held its awards celebration. While the highlight films were impressive and hip, I would have liked to have heard more from the recipients (their thank-you remarks were noted in the program). ... Doing my best Joan Rivers imitation, here are my award winners from the gala: Best Dressed: Pat Bradley for a nice golden yellow business suit with matching new golden tresses. Dress Most Appropriate for the Meal (chicken in a tangerine marinade): Sorenstam in a light-green Hawaiian shirt, khaki slacks and brown flats. Worst Dress: Wendy Ward in black slacks and blue buttoned shirt that from a distance looked like a denim shirt. Most Embarrassing Moment: Penny Zaviches, a teaching pro from Pueblo, Colo., dropped the Steuben glass Ellen Griffith Award during the photo shoot. Best Joke: Patty Berg, the oldest living member of the LPGA, while presenting Bradley with the 2001 Patty Berg Award. "I love you all so much. I pray for you all. I've been thinking about you all so much that I have been thinking about coming back," said Berg, who just turned 84 last month. "I have been working hard on my putting." Most Bizarre Award: Rosie Jones, who earned the year-long Century 21 Move of the Month Award for improving 90 spots during March of 2001. Considering that she hadn't played until that point last season, it was easy to move up from dead last. Most Entertaining: A highlight film of Sorenstam's season played to the Pink song Get the Party Started that ended with the Swede's patented giggle. Tom Hanson, a regular contributor to Sports Illustrated's Golf Plus section, is a longtime caddie on the LPGA Tour. Click here to send him a question or comment.
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